1. What is Visible Ink?

The Visible Ink program offers patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering the opportunity to express themselves in writing with the one-on-one support of a volunteer writing mentor. The program is free of charge.

6. Can Visible Ink help me publish my work?

7. Does the program offer opportunities for my work to reach a broader audience?

Yes. Each year, Visible Ink produces an anthology of works by participants and selects a number of short pieces to be staged in a live show performed by professional entertainers. All Visible Ink participants are invited — though not required — to submit pieces for the anthology and the performance. A selection committee determines which pieces will be published and/or staged.

8. What happens to writing I do in the program?

You retain all rights to your work. Visible Ink won’t share or publish your work in any way without your written consent. We do ask that a copy of all work completed in the program be submitted by you or your mentor for inclusion in our Visible Ink archives, which are maintained as a private record.

9. Where are writing sessions held?

Visible Ink does not have an assigned space. You and your mentor can meet in any location conducive to conversation, such as a public lounge or a coffee shop, but not in participants’ or mentors’ homes or in the hospital. Writing can also be exchanged and evaluated via email, online chat (Skype or FaceTime), or phone.